United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,171,349 Vetanovetz Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
III USOO5171349A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,171,349 Vetanovetz et al. 45) Date of Patent: Dec. 15, 1992 (54) SOLUBILITY COMPOUND FERTILIZER 56) References Cited COMPOSITIONS U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,013,446 3/1977 Beresky et al. ..................... 7/29 X (76) Inventors: Richard P. Vetanovetz, 435 4,507, 39 3/1985 Sullivan et al...................... 7/29 X Beechwood St., Emmaus, Pa. 18049; Robert Peters, 2833 Pennsylvania St., FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Allentown, Pa. 18104 2072644A 10/1981 United Kingdom. OTHER PUBLICATIONS (21) Appl. No.: 690,099 Chemical Abstracts, vol. 93, 6001, Nr. 11, 1980, p. 622, 93:113193d "Solubilizing phosphate rocks using urea', 22) Filed: Apr. 23, 1991 one page. Primary Examiner-Ferris Lander Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Caesar, Rivise, Bernstein, Related U.S. Application Data Cohen, & Pokotilow, Ltd. (63) Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 648,644, Jan. 31, 1991, 57) ABSTRACT abandoned. Solid compound fertilizers for dissolving into stock solutions advantageously employing urea phosphate as (51) Int. Cl. ................................................ CO5C 9/00 a phosphorous source. The use of urea phosphate makes (52) U.S. Cl. ........................................... 71/29; 71/30; it possible to have calcium present as well as nonche 71/64. lated trace metals without precipitation. (58) Field of Search .................... 71/29, 65, 30, 64.08, 71/64.1 13 Claims, No Drawings 5,171,349 1. 2 reaction products as ammonia-stabilized liquid compo SOLUBLITY COMPOUND FERTILIZER nents of fertilizers. Chemical Abstracts 106(3) 1013 liq COMPOSITIONS shows a liquid component for use in fertilizers which contains a urea phosphate polycondensation product. This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 5 Chemical Abstracts 102(9)77486v also shows this. Other 07/648,644 filed Jan. 31, 1991, now abandoned. references of interest include Chemical Abstracts 101 (23)209498s which concerns the biological fate of BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION urea/phosphate fertilizers; Chemical Abstracts 1. Field of the Invention 101 (21) 190398k which discusses the use of urea phos This invention concerns improved solid fertilizer O phate fertilizers; Chemical Abstracts 88(19)135558a compositions and in particular solid fertilizer composi which describes the reaction of that phosphoric acid tions useful for preparing aqueous fertilizer solutions for reacts with urea and with calcium salts; and Chemical precision plant nutrition. Abstracts 86(11)70783g which deals with the develop 2. Prior Art ment of liquid multicomponent fertilizers based on po In greenhouses, nurseries and other intensive horti 5 tassium and ammonium nitrates and diphosphates, urea, culture environments. best results are attained when water and trace elements. macro- and micronutrients are carefully delivered to the growing plants. Many growers choose to utilize com STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION pound high analysis water-soluble fertilizers. Typically, An improved solid fertilizer which dissolves com these fertilizers are marketed as solids which are dis 20 pletely in water to give a phosphorous-containing stock solved to prepare concentrated stock solutions which solution has now been found. This fertilizer is charac are then diluted into irrigation water by means of pro terized by being a solid, by having urea phosphate as the portioners or injection devices. principal phosphorous source, by containing calcium The Grace Sierra Horticultural Products Company and/or magnesium and/or nonchelated micronutrient markets a wide range of water-soluble solid compound 25 trace metals such as iron, manganese, copper, boron, fertilizer formulations under the Peters Professional (R) zinc and molybdenum, and by dissolving completely in trademark. These formulations are designed to dissolve water without precipitate formation initially or upon quickly and completely with no precipitation. It is also prolonged standing, such as for 24 hours or longer. desired that a fertilizer formulation have good long In one embodiment, this invention provides a calci term stability as a stock solution so as not to form pre 30 um-containing solid complex fertilizer which dissolves cipitates which can clog proportioners and irrigation completely in water to give a water-based precipitate lines. This has led to a limitation with water-soluble free stable aqueous stock solution, this solid fertilizer fertilizer formulation available heretofore. Calcium is containing solid urea phosphate as the principal phos an important nutrient which is called for in many plant phorous source and calcium nitrate. nutrition formulations, but calcium salts cannot be used 35 In another embodiment, this invention provides a together with the conventional phosphorous sour trace metal-containing solid complex fertilizer which ces-monoammonium phosphate and diammonium dissolves completely in water to give a water-based phosphate-as the pHs which these phosphate sources precipitate free stable aqueous stock solution, this solid provide are too high (not acidic enough) to give ade fertilizer containing solid urea phosphate as the princi quate solubility to the calcium ions and thus give rise to pal phosphorous source and nonchelated micronutrient precipitation of the calcium salts in the stock solution trace metal nitrate or sulfate salts such as at least one of and in the proportioners. iron sulfate or nitrate, manganese sulfate or nitrate, Potassium phosphate or sodium phosphate can be copper sulfate or nitrate, and zinc sulfate or nitrate. This used as soluble phosphorous sources but these are either material may contain magnesium sulfate or nitrate, as expensive or not conducive to plant growth. Phos 45 well. It also may contain calcium nitrate. phoric acid can be used but is a liquid and hazardous to In addition, this invention provides a method for handle. Therefore, a grower wishing to fertilize with preparing a stable water-based phosphorous-containing both calcium and phosphorous, without resorting to the and calcium-containing fertilizer aqueous stock solu use of an alkali metal phosphate or liquid phosphorous tion. This method involves acid, will need to inject these two elements separately. 50 Obtaining a solid compound fertilizer admixture of urea Secondly, and similarly, the use of chelated trace phosphate as a primary phosphorous component and nutrients (micronutrients) has been widely postulated in calcium nitrate, and order to keep these trace nutrients in solution in stock Mixing this admixture with water at a ratio predeter solutions which also contain the monoammonium and mined to yield to a concentration of the admixture of diammonium phosphates. If nonchelated micronutrients 55 2 to 40% by weight and allowing the admixture to (such as simple nitrates or sulfates) are employed with dissolve completely. the conventional phosphorous sources, the micronutri This same general process can be used to prepare a ents tend to precipitate from solution. Again, these nonchelated trace metal (e.g. FeSO4, etc.)-containing chelated micronutrients increase the cost of the fertil phosphorous-containing fertilizer aqueous stock solu izer formulations. tion, which also constitutes an aspect of this invention. The present invention employs urea phosphate in The inclusion of urea phosphate in a dry blended water-soluble solid fertilizer formulations. Urea phos mixture of nutrient sources which include calcium, phate is a known material. The text, Urea and Urea and/or magnesium with or without trace metals such as Phosphate Fertilizers by Clifford W. Fowler (Noyes iron and the like in nonchelated forms such as nitrates Data Corporation, Park Ridge, N.J., 1976) at page 23, 65 and/or sulfates offers several advantages. For one, the shows a process for preparing this material and suggests urea phosphate establishes a low pH condition when the that it may be used as a fertilizer. Similarly, U.S. Pat. blended mixture is added to water to make a concen No. 4,456,463 discloses the use of urea-phosphoric acid trated stock solution. A stock solution pH in the range 5,171,349 3 4. of 0 to 2 may be achieved. This low solution pH main % w N) of from 1% to 40% and potassium contents (as tains solubility and clarity of the concentrated stock % w K2O) of from 0% to 35%. Within these formula solution. Urea phosphate, by the effect it has on solution tion ranges and parameters, it is desirable for the urea pH, prevents the formation of calcium phosphate, mag phosphate to be the primary or principal source of phos nesium phosphate and iron phosphate, which are not 5 soluble. Similarly, the low pH helps prevent calcium phorous in the present solid fertilizers. By "primary" or from precipitating in the presence of sulfate ions which "principal" source is meant that urea phosphate contrib may be present. Therefore, when urea phosphate is used utes at least about 50%, and preferably at least about as a primary phosphorous source, it will make possible 95% and especially essentially 100% of the phospho the inclusion of phosphorous and a metal such as cal rous present in these products. In cases where urea cium, magnesium or iron in one compound fertilizer, 10 phosphate is not the sole phosphorus source, other without the use of chelates or the disadvantage of a phosphates such as potassium phosphate and ammo precipitate forming. This allows the end user to prepare nium phosphate can make up the balance. and apply a complete nutrient solution using one stock In addition to the phosphorous and nitrogen and solution and utilizing one injector. It also makes possi optional potassium, the materials of this invention in ble the inclusion of nonchelated trace nutrients into 15 clude calcium and/or at least one metal selected from phosphorous-containing nutrient solutions without pre magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, boron, zinc and cipitation. It also allows the fertilizer solution to have molybdenum. Ranges of concentration for these materi an increased acidifying effect on the growing medium if als are as follows: needed. In summary, the advantages of using urea phos phate as a primary phosphate source in a solid com 20 pound fertilizer are: Concentration Range as a.